uggggh.... i don't think I like it...

Its too green! Ugh... the chip was so nice :( I wonder if they can re-tint it? Shaun wants to see it first... he'll be home at 8:30ish...

BOOOOOO :(

Pictures of progress

A selection of pictures of paint in progress. The banister will be black.

I put the basement door one in to show that the transformation from beige to white isn't that exciting. Although it is for ME because I know all those stains/marks I scrubbed that I could NOT get off have now disappeared with the fresh coat of white. Soooooo fufilling!!

Today Patrick and I are going to pick up the actual wall colour paint! I'm pretty excited. We're only going to get 1 for now and do a test-patch, just to be sure.

Mr. P is napping, so I'm off to paint more! Tah-tah!

Paint, part 2

I've made excellent progress with my painting today. Patrick had 3 great naps and Shaun was home early, so that helped a lot!

All the baseboard is primed. All the doors on the main floor are primed (back door, bathroom door, basement door and hall closet doors). I've primed down the stairs up as far as I can reach, and about 1/2 of the main floor is primed floor to ceiling. The upstairs was primed in the summer. All in all, I think I spent about 5 hours painting today and went through an entire gallon!

We've picked the wall colour -- its called Colorado Grey, and I'm going to pick it up tomorrow, but I can't decide how many gallons to get! We've gone through 2 cans of primer, and I figure we'll need the 3rd. I am also pretty sure that it will require 2 coats of the colour to get a good finish. I think maybe I'll get 3... and I can always get more. The reason I'd like to get it all now is that it is on sale!

I also have to decide what colour 'white' I want as a finish. Can you believe there are different ones??? Crazy! I got some samples and will check them against my living room trim in the daylight.

I also need to pick up 'door sealer'. Upstairs we have.. I think they're called ... contractor doors. They're hideous and brown, and not really wood, and if you just paint them, they swell and can't shut properly -- I learned this when I painted the one on the master bedroom in the summer. I'd much rather replace them, but its not really in the budget :( I still have 4 doors upstairs to prime and paint, and the bathroom door just needs to be re-painted with the top coat.

AND I still have 2 weeks to finish before my parents come :) I think I'll be fine.

Painting

When we moved into this house, almost every wall and room was beige, with a few exceptions. Patrick's nursery was a lovely green (and stayed that way) and our room was a disgusting green.

Before we even moved in completely, we painted the living room (blue) , dining room (yellow) and both bathrooms (green). This summer I painted our bedroom a lovely brown-pink-cream.

And now, we are painting the hall-stairs-hall (H-S-H). It was a delima from the start. The H-S-H is in every part of the house, exteding from the back door/basement door/ powder room, past the kitchen, into the front hall, up the stairs, and all the way down the hall to the end. It passed every other room in the house. It had to be a colour we could live with for a long time since it was such a large project.

Originally Shaun wanted Red, which I agreed to, but then changed my mind. Red would be a very hard colour and would definetly not go with all the other colours in the house. Then we talked about grey. Finally we've settled on a blue-grey.

Yesterday, I sanded and primed the banister and spindles. They're metal, and we would have prefered to replace them with an oak railing, but its awfully expensive. I'm going to be finish-coating them in black melamine. We also measured and bought the runner for down the stairs -- a dark grey, very plain but will help with traction on the hard-wood stairs. We also picked out paint colours and I can't wait to choose one!!

Today I'm hoping to get more of the trim and walls primed. We have to prime everything because the existing paint is oil-based and we want to use latex. Unfortunately we have to use this super-expensive primer to do it, otherwise it would peel off :(

So I'm very excited! Pictures to follow!

Pix of H-S-H

Before pictures. I'll post progress pictures soon. As you can see, its very very very very very dull and boring.

I did it! I did it! I did it!

I finally won at Nintendo Mario Bros III!!!

Stop laughing. Its an accomplishmet to me!

In December, my parents gave me back my ORIGINAL Nintendo entertainment system, games and controller. When I had moved out, my mom wanted to keep it because she still played Tetris and Dr. Mario, but she had since gotten Tetris in hand-held form. My parents are in the midst of finishing their basement, and there was no longer room for the nintendo when dad got HDTV.

By co-incidence, Shaun and I got a TV from Shaun's grandmother. It was originally Shauns, but had stopped working except on Channel 3 or 4 which is fine for us because we have sattelite. So that larger TV went in our bedroom and Shaun set up the small one in the spare room with the nintendo.

So, instead of being aggrivated when I put Mr. P down for a nap, waiting for him to fall asleep, I played Nintendo. Its taken me about a month to 'win' the game -- I just left it at a good spot and turned off the TV, then picked up again where I left off for the next nap time. And so, 30 minutes at a time, while Patrick fell asleep, I would play and check on him, and after he was under, I'd go do housework or whatever.

I'm pretty proud of myself! I don't recall ever winning the game before so its pretty exciting.

its Friday -- yippie!

And it REALLY FEELS like Friday..... Shaun has Saturday & Sunday off.

Patrick and I had an off day yesterday. It was really rough. He's sick, and I'm just at the tail end (I HOPE!!!) and sooo tired from coughing in the night and getting up to give him juice and hugs. So yesterday, i tried to nap. This is rare. I don't usually try to nap because, without fail, it is the EXACT nap that he will only sleep 10-20 minutes, and then wake up screaming. This always puts me in a bad mood for the rest of the day. So usually, I do other things instead of nap -- watch mindless TV (the MAURY show paternity test results is my fav), work on my scrapbook, play solitare, surf the net, but yesterday I NEEDED that nap SOOOO much that I risked it, and of course, on que, he only slept briefly and woke up screaming.

I was a zombee for the rest of the day and rather annoyed. He was rather annoyed too, because he was tired, but he wouldn't nap. So i decided to keep him awake until bedtime, then I know he'd sleep. So he was up yesterday, from 1 till 6:30 -- a very big stretch for him. And he still didn't sleep that well :( But I slept better. Not as per usual, but at least better.... only 2 coughing fits I think.

Today is baby group. We haven't been for 2 weeks, so I planned the day so that we could definetly go. Patrick has a habit of wanting to nap at 1 p.m. so instead of a morning nap this morning at 9, we went shopping and I kept him up until 10:30. I'm really surprised he lasted that long! So now he is sleeping, and then he'll get up, play, have lunch and we can go and hang out with the other babies and moms. Yay!

Tonight for dinner I'm being brave. We're having home-made pizza. I'm using the bread maker to make the dough, and I bought sauce, pepperoni and mozza cheese. I hope it works out! The breadmaker makes enough for 2 pizzas so I'll freeze half the dough for another day. Patrick LOVES garlic bread/strips so I'll thaugh it out one day just for us.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired

Its been about 3 weeks since I first got this cold/flu/bug. Shaun and I both have it, and now Patrick does too.

This bug likes to morph too. You never know how you'll feel one day to the next. Chills, fever, body ache, headache, plugged ears, stuffy nose, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, coughing and more coughing, tummy troubles, goopy eyes... you name it, I've had it recently.

And its not even that I mind that much being sick ... everyone gets sick... its just that its dragged ON and ON and ON and I've had little to no sleep for days and days and days.

We went shopping yesterday, and the cashier at one store commented that it was really nice of me to come out and share all my germs. I told her I'd been sick for over 3 weeks and I couldn't possibly stay home that long. I'm not looking for anyone else to get sick, but common! I still gotta get groceries.

We even went to the doctor, which was POINTLESS. Doesn't it make sense to go to the doctor when you're sick? thats usually why you go. But she couldn't do a thing for us, and even seemed annoyed that we'd come in with a virus. She didn't even check my ears or throat, just said it was going around. Very helpful.

I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I just want to be healthy or at least get a FULL nights uninterrupted sleep.

I'm bored

Me being bored is a RARE event. Usually I'm so run off my feet that by the time its time to go to bed I'm more than ready. Between laundry, cleaning, snow shovelling, laundry, the cats, Patrick and laundry some days I look at the clock and wonder how it all went by so fast.

But not today.

Today has just dragged on and on and on. Patrick is clingy, and sleely, and I have no housework to do today, and Shaun took the van to work so I can't go out. The driveway doesn't REALLY need to be shoveled.. and no one has written in their blogs. BOOOO.

So, finally it is 5:30. Just about bath time, then bottle time, and then bed time. Patrick refused his afternoon nap, so he's super sleepy already, which isn't a good thing. If he goes to bed too early, he'll be up way too early too. BOOO.

But thats not the point. I'm not looking to go to bed, I'm looking for something to DO. I worked a bit on his scrapbook -- on the teeth page -- but I can't do any more until I finish collecting Christmas pictures. I'm already 2 months behind, soon it will be 3. BOOOO.

Patrick has just finished cramming dinner into his mouth. Eating dinner with Patrick is amusing, but the conversation is definetly lacking. Tonight we dined on chicken, beans, sweet potato and garlic bread (a Patrick favourite). He also had pumpkin puree mixed with oatmeal cereal. Yum.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is bath time. Wheee.

I can do it myself, mom.

Well, my little guy is getting so independent, granted I'm trying to encourage this during feedings. A few days ago he had mac'n'cheese for the first time and refused to let me feed it to him -- he had to do it himself! And he did a great job!

He's been self-feeding toast, waffle, cracker, cherrio, cookie, muffin, etc for quite a while, but no fruits or veggies. So today, I gave him chunks of banana -- and he loved it!!! YIPPIE!!


Here he is with banana, banana waffle and cherrios :) Yummy breakfast!

rollin' rollin' rollin'

Its happened. Patrick is MOBILE! He can roll and roll and roll and get all the way across the living room -- if he wants to. I'm not sure he's figured out that he can do it! Ha ha! But it is so much fun to watch.

Our baby proofing skills will soon be put to the test and my house will be a disaster. He's also started pulling up! No success yet, but the desire is there. Look out kitties!!

Also, Patrick wanted me to add that "socks suck" and "toes are delicious". And now he's clapping his feet. Silly boy.

I'm glad he's so happy! We've all been sick -- Shaun for over a week and me close behind. Nasty bug with body/head ache so bad that I had to 'ban' all of the noisy toys for a couple of days including squeeky fish and the rainstick -- it made me want to curl up in a ball on the floor.

I'd just like to be healthy, thanks. I'd also like a full nights sleep that isn't interrupted with coughing or the need to go to the kitchen for a drink or medicine. I think I might actually have a nap today with Patrick.

jynxing myself

Well, we finally have a routine! But I know that if I write it down, it will all go to pot, but I wanted to share it anyway.

I LOVE having a routine. It means I can plan my day too, and know that Patrick is getting what he wants/need at the same time.

He gets up in the morning between 6 and 7:30 and has a 7 oz bottle back in bed with me/us.

Then I get up and change and dress him. Then downstairs for Cherrios while I have my breakfast.

Then we play! Until about 9 a.m. when he goes down for his first nap. Then I get 'me' time -- usually to clean up the kitchen, or shovel the driveway and shower. He sleeps anywhere from 30-90 minutes and then he gets up and has some juice and 'breakfast' -- some variety of fruit and cereal mixed together, and then toast or waffle fingers and cherrios (again!).

After this, we play again -- usually downstairs where he gets a bit of TV and I do laundry/work on the scrapbook/etc.

For lunch, P usually isn't that hungry but I try to feed him some cheese and veg, and then cherrios again! AGAIN! lol I have my lunch, and then we run our errands if we have any. Home again, its usually nap time around 1 p.m. Again, he naps 30-90 minutes and I do some clean up or relax myself.

P gets up and we play again, usually in the living room, and then I pull dinner together. We eat, and then play again (time permitting) then its bath time, snuggle time, bottle time and bed time.

Its a nice little routine! :)

Federal transportation tax?

Shaun just found out that he'll have to back-pay federal transportation tax on all trips to work by bus. Apparently, the government used to run the busses, but in 2002 it changed to being run by the Bruce. Soo... now the government wants $18 extra PER TRIP to be paid by each person. Bus tickets have to be purchased by the employee through their pay, so there is a record of who bought how many tickets. Fortunately, we'll only owe about $300, but there are people who rely on the bus every day to get to work, and they will owe a heck of a lot more, some in excess of $6000.

This really bothers me. It seems like such a money grab by the government and we will be forced to pay because its going onto Shaun's T4. AND its very anti-environment. If this holds up, the busses will be shut down. No one will want to pay $20 per trip (thats right, it was only $2 before) so instead, everyone will take their car and put much more exhaust into the air. With the governement encouraging every business to take the 1 ton challenge, they sure have a backhanded way of accepting a company that does. Shaun told me how much emissions the busses had saved -- it was a crazy amount, like 18M tons or something -- so thats much better than the 1 ton challenge, yet the governement is slamming people who try to make a difference.

when it rains, it pours. Heres a V-day picture of Patrick

The card was from his Auntie Sara (et al).

I forgot some stuff...

Patrick now has 7 teeth! 4 on top, and 3 on the bottom. And he loves grilled cheese.

Ok... I think thats everything now :)

its been a really really really really really really REALLY long time!

Ok.. not THAT long. Its been LESS than a month thank-you-very-much :)

Ok ok where to start? Lesse... what happened AFTER January 15, 2006?

Well, on January 17th, we got a boil water advisory. Now, really, its not that inconvenient. We already boil water for Patrick, so whats a little extra for us? Until you start thinking about doing dishes -- you have to boil water for that too, and brushing your teeth, and baths for Patrick (they recommend sponge baths)... and it just seems a little out of hand! Fortunately we were scheduled to visit my parents on the 19th, so we only endured a couple days of fun.

There was a party for Shaun & my birthday at my parents place on Thursday the 19th with food and presents and cake. Mom made me new curtains for the living room, and Sara (et al) got me some scrapbooking items and wendy's gift certificates. Shaun had a guys weekend on the 20th to 23rd, so Patrick and I got to enjoy mom & dad (and charlie). We did lots of fun things! We had lunch at Pizza hut with Auntie Sara and Janae, played cards with great grandpa Bert, hung out with Sara & the daycare kids and shopped! I got new glasses! We were having a lot of fun, and avoiding the ongoing boil water advisory, until...

January 25th, when we got an early morning call that Shaun's Papa had died. We left Patrick with my parents, and drove to Perth (5 hours). It was a very emotional time, and Shaun's Nana was understandably very upset. There were 2 visitations and the service, and one night we got to spend time with Nana and showed her the pictures of Patrick. Nana's mind is failing her, and she didn't really remember either of us (poor Shaun), but she knew who Patrick was! Dorothy makes sure to put lots of pictures of him around her room and she knew who he was. We came back to my parents place on the 28th, packed up the remainder of our stuff and drove home. 8 hours onthe road in one day is enough to make anyone go crazy!

My SIL got a new apartment with her boyfriend, James. They took posession on Feb 1st but were able to move in their stuff before hand. We were excited because we had a table & 6 chairs, a coffee table and a computer & computer table for them and were glad to get them out! Their apartment is really nice, its on the main street but has access from the back too making it more private. I really like the way they've set it up, although I've yet to see the final stage of it. When the weather gets nicer, Patrick and I will be able to walk there! I can't wait to be able to walk to downtown again.

Then it snowed. And it snowed and snowed and snowed and over the course of 3 days, we got about 70 cm of snow. The first day, Shaun shoveled the main drive, and I did the end after the plough came. The second day we hired a guy to do it for $20. Best $20 I ever spent, he was GREAT and since all 3 off us were down with colds, it was terrific. The third day, I shoveled twice! I did the whole thing over an hour and a half while Patrick napped and then brought him out to sit in the stroller and watch, and then did another half hour later that afternoon after the plough came. Its getting to the point where there is NO space to put anymore snow. I've built a really great ramp off the side of the drive, but its just crazy. AND they're calling for another onslaught of the white stuff tonight. Ugh.

On Feb 9th, I celebrated my 28th birthday. It was a great day! Patrick and I met up with Sara, Janae and my mom in Hanover and had some fun shopping and having lunch. When I got home, someone had shoveled the driveway for me -- what a great surprise! I was expecting to do it myself. That evening, Shaun took me out for dinner and the whole kitchen staff came out to sing "happy birthday". After, everyone came back here for cake and presents. Shaun got me the first season of ER, Lisa and James got me a resturant GC and Shaun's parents got me a carpet cleaner! I can't wait to use it! But I can wait, because that means that SOMEONE has made a mess that I have to clean up! Boooo.

And Today is Valentines day. Both my boys are sleeping -- Patrick for a nap, and Shaun is still fighting that darn cold. Boo. Shaun got me a basket of chocolates and I got him a Simpsons pizza cutter -- he loves it!

Well, I think we're back up to date now. Whew!